Controller for electric motors.



PATENTBD JUNE 9, 1903.

J. B. LINN.

GONTROLLER FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS.

APPLICATION FILED 1330.28, 1900.

N0 MODEL.

VWtnesses: Inventor.

John BLlnn.

MZZ

UNITED STATES Patented June 9, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. LINN, OF SCHENEOTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRICCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 0. 730,667, dated June 9.1903.

To all whom, it may concern;

Be it known that I, JOHN B. LINN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York,

have invented certain new and useful Im-.

set forth and are now so universally recog-- nized that theyneed not berepeated here;

but in electric cranes and similar machinery it is desirable to be ableto run the motor in either-direction by simply swinging a singlecontroller-handle one way or the other from a central 0E position. Thisenablesthe engineer to control his motor with one hand, leaving theother hand free to manage whatever other apparatus he may have chargeof.

A controller with a cylinder large enough to accommodate a double set ofcontacts, one for forward and one for backward motion,

would be exceedingly bulky, and therefore in many cases impracticable.

The object of my invention is to enable the compact standard controllerto be used, with its small cylinder carrying one set of contacts and itsreversing-switch enabling said contacts to be employed for forward andbackward motion. 7

To this end the invention consists in an attachment fitting on top of astandard controller and comprising connected mechanism to engage withthe shafts of the contact-cylinder and reversing-switch, and therebyenable both to be actuated by one handle.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional plan View of lily-inventionwith the casing in section. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on the line2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 3 3, Fig. 1.Fig. 4 is a detailplan view of the reversing-switch lock.

The upper portion of a standard controller A is shown in Figs. 2 and 3,the main contactcylinder being indicated (in Fig. 2 only) atB and thereversing-switch at C, the shaft of each being provided with the usualsquared end Z) c.

A casing D, somewhat wider and longer than the controller-casing, fitson top of the latter, being secured thereto by bolts E passing throughregistering lugs a d. Inside of the casing D are supported two sockets FG, rotatable in suitable bearings and adapted to fitdown over and engagewith the ends I) c of the controller shafts. These rotatable sockets areconveniently mounted in a bracket D, secured to the back of the casingD.

The socket F for the main contact-cylinder of the controller has-agear-whee f secured to it, meshing with a sector-gear H, rot-atablyjournaled in bearing d near one end of the casing D. Pivoted to thesector-gear is a link I, the other end of which is pivotally attached atthe point It to a disk K, secured to a shaft K, which extends up througha bearing 61 formed in the top of the casing D and carries a handle L,by which the disk can be turned. A spring latch Z, operated by athumb-piece l and engaging with a notched quadrant d serves to retainthe handle in any desired position. The shaft is supported .in thebearing d by a collar which may have a petticoat-flange k to protectthebearing from moisture or dirt.

The link- I is pivoted to the disk K at such a point 70 that when thecontroller is in the off position the pivot stands on the deadcenterthatis, with its longitudinal axis in line with the axis of the disk-and oneend of the sector-gear H is in mesh with the gearwheelfi Hencea-movement of the handle L in either direction will exert a pull on thelink and cause the sector-gear to rotate the gear-wheel and the cylinderof the controller.

In order to shift the reversing-switch from the forward to-the backwardposition, or vice versa,as thehandle L passes the central position, Iprovide the socket G with a toothed flange g, whichcan be engaged by oneor ICC) more teeth k on the disk K at the proper instant to turn thesocket G. A locking device is also provided to prevent thereversingswitch from moving while the handle L is being carried overeither half of its path. I prefer to use for this purpose a flange onthe socket having two faces g 9 each curved to fit accurately the edgeof the disk K, so that the flange is locked in position while eitherface is in engagement with the disk. At a point in radial line with thetooth 7& a notch It is-formed in the edge of the disk to permit thepoint of the flange between the two faces 9 g to enter it and swing pastwhen the switch is reversed. The reversing takes place when the pivot 70is on the dead-center, as shown in Fig. 1.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is 1. An attachment for a controller, com prising adetachable connected mechanism to engage with the contact-cylinder andthe reversingswitch and enable both to be controlled by'one handle, saidconnecting mechanism being readily removable as a whole from engagementwith said contact-cylinder and reversing-switch.

2. An attachment for a controller, comprising a casing containingconnected mechanism whereby the contact-cylinder and reversingswitch canbe controlled by one handle, said casing fitting on. top of thecontroller-casing.

3. An attachment fora controller, comprising a casing adapted to fit onthe upper end of the controller-casing and containing rotatable socketsto engage with the shafts of the contact-cylinder and thereversing-switch, and mechanism for operating said sockets by onehandle.

4. An attachment for a controller, comprising a casing adapted to fit onthe upper end of the controller-casing, sockets mounted rotatably insaid casing to engage with the shafts of the contact-cylinder and thereversing-switch, a rotatable shaft, and connecting means between saidshaft and the two sockets for rotating one of them in the same directionwhen the disk moves either way from a given position, and rotating theother socket in one,direction or the other and looking it.

5. An attachment for a controller, comprising a casing adapted to fit ontop of the controller casing, and containing hearings, a shaft journaledin a bearing and extending up through the top of the attachment-casing,a disk on the lower end of the shaft, two sockets journaled in bearings,a gear-wheel on one of said sockets, a segment-gear meshing with thegear-wheel, a link connecting the segment-gear with the disk, andinteroperating teeth on the disk and the other socket.

6. An attachment for a controller, comprising a casing adapted to fit ontop of the controller-casing, a shaft extending up through the top ofthe attachment-casing, a disk on the lower end of the shaft having asmooth edge, two-sockets rotatably mounted in the casing, gearingconnecting one of said sockets with the disk, interoperating teeth onthe other socket and the disk, and a flange on the socket having twofaces each curved to fit the edge of the disk, said disk having also anotch to permit the point between the curved faces to swing past whenthe teeth operate to rotate the socket.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 26th day ofDecember, 1900.

JOHN B. LINN.

Witnesses:

FRED Ross, BENJAMIN B. HULL.

